DIANA BAYNE ALLAN

Diana Bayne Allan (nee Plunkett) died on November 29, 2024, in hospital, shortly after a heart attack in the family home in which she had lived for 58 years. She was 87. Diana was born in Ottawa to Marian and Elmer Plunkett. She had memories of Ottawa life during the Second World War, during which her father was the physician for the Dutch Royal Family. Diana attended Glebe Collegiate in Ottawa, and then went to Queen's University from which she was graduated in 1959. There she met her husband, Duncan Allan, who also was graduated from Queen's in 1959. They married that year and moved to Toronto. Diana had two children, James and Margaret (both also Queen's grads). When her children started school, Diana became a school librarian in East York, a job she held for many years. Throughout her life she was a voracious reader and supremely well-informed on many topics. She also loved poetry, Wordle, and Jeopardy on TV. In 1961, with a one-year-old son, Diana and Duncan attended Red Pine Camp near Eganville. Diana loved Red Pine and went every summer thereafter, including this year, a total of 63 years attendance. She made many friends at this family camp from all over north America and both her children worked at Red Pine. Diana was widowed in 1995. She travelled widely, including to New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia and to many parts of Europe. She remained good friends to the end with two women she met at school in Ottawa, Edie Mackay and Carol Ketchum. And she would have wanted everyone to know that she was a staunch monarchist. In the last decade and a half of her life, Diana moved from no interest in sports at all to being a keen TV follower of curling, tennis, basketball and the CFL. Diana is survived by her children, James Allan (married to Heather) and Margaret Allan (married to David); and by her five grandchildren – in order, Meredith Williams (Jordan), Cameron Allan (Jess), Elizabeth Williams (Ciara), Bronwyn Allan (Hugh) and Audrey Williams (Pontus). She lived long enough to learn that she had two great-grandchildren on the way. Diana was a terrific mother and grandmother who played a big role in the lives of them all. She never wanted to leave the family home, and in essence she never did. She is already badly missed by all her family. A memorial service will be held at the McDougall & Brown Funeral Home (2900 Kingston Road) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 21st. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation.